Westport authorizes water study

WESTPORT — As Westport continues to look into ways to solve its water woes, officials have expressed support of a water rate study to better plot future rates.

NICHOLAS WALECKA

WESTPORT — As Westport continues to look into ways to solve its water woes, officials have expressed support of a water rate study to better plot future rates.

Selectman voted earlier this year to authorize the study, which will be done by the Environmental Partners Group, an engineering firm currently working with the town on the problem of trihalomethanes in the water coming from Fall River; about 160 customers in Westport are affected.

"There are many pieces to this puzzle we're trying to put together," said Town Administrator Jack Healey, who is also working with Environmental Partners and Fall River to help find solutions to the trihalomethanes. The cancer-causing agents form when chlorine in the water mixes with organic matter after it sits dormant in pipes for extended periods of time.

"We're trying to find a way to deal with trihalomethanes without spending a million dollars," Healey said.

At Town Meeting in November, voters approved $862,000 to build a water treatment facility as ordered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) after high levels of trihalomethanes were discovered in the system.

Though the money was approved, officials are looking into potential solutions to the problem to avoid the burden of the cost of a treatment facility.

Ryan Trahan, project manager for the Environmental Partners Group, said that Westport is nearing a decision from the DEP that could help delay the construction of such a facility for at least a year while they seek solutions to the problem in house.

"It seems like we could potentially have that done for a year," said Trahan, noting that the newly approved study, which will explore the current rate structure while also looking at what's necessary to run and water system (such as the potential replacement of water meters, among other things) could eventually result in a hike in water rates.

"We want to see what kind of rate raise may be necessary. We really just want to look at all the costs of running the water system."

According to Healey, Trahan and Environmental Partners have already put in several bleeders within the system in different places around Fall River and Westport as well as to turn off service to a waterline in front of White's of Westport in order to keep water from sitting dormant, but that the costs of such work continues to mount.

"All of this takes time," said Healey. "It takes money. We're doing the best job we can."

"The new year budget (starting July 1) is where we're going to have to consider a rate increase," added Healey. "We're going to be carrying out a lot of that work in the new year. (That's the first) potential for a rate increase, I think."